It has been said, Mr. Budgell was of opinion, that when life becomes
uneasy to support, and is overwhelmed with clouds, and sorrows, that a
man has a natural right to take it away, as it is better not to live,
than live in pain. The morning before he carried his notion of
self-murder into execution, he endeavoured to persuade his daughter to
accompany him, which she very wisely refused. His argument to induce her
was; life is not worth the holding.--Upon Mr. Budgell's beauroe was
found a slip of paper; in which were written these words.

What Cato did, and Addison approv'd[5],
Cannot be wrong.--

Mr. Budgell had undoubtedly strong natural parts, an excellent
education, and set out in life with every advantage that a man could
wish, being settled in very great and profitable employments, at a very
early age, by Mr. Addison: But by excessive vanity and indiscretion,
proceeding from a false estimation of his own weight and consequence, he
over-stretched himself, and ruined his interest at court, and by the
succeeding loss of his fortune in the South-Sea, was reduced too low to
make any other head against his enemies. The unjustifiable and
dishonourable law-suits he kept alive, in the remaining part of his
life, seem to be intirely owing to the same disposition, which could
never submit to the living beneath what he had once done, and from that
principle he kept a chariot and house in London to the very last.

His end was like that of many other people of spirit, reduced to great
streights; for some of the greatest, as well as some of the most
infamous men have laid violent hands upon themselves. As an author where
he does not speak of himself, and does not give a loose to his vanity,